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Educators from across Arkansas will be at Pulaski Technical College April 2-3 for the 2008 New Student Symposium.

The two-day symposium will bring together more than 130 educators from the state's two-year colleges and four-year universities along with representatives from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education and the Arkansas Association for Two-Year Colleges.

The symposium's theme is "Each One Reach One" and will focus on how faculty and staff all play a role in the academic success of students, particularly students who are attending college for the first time.

"This event is the first of its kind in Arkansas and is a very important forum for college and university faculty and staff throughout the state," said Dr. Dan F. Bakke, college president. "We know that everyone plays a role in the success of new students - not just our faculty but also our staff, from librarians to physical plant. We want those interactions to be positive experiences for our students."

The two-day symposium begins at 5 p.m. Wednesday with a reception followed by a dinner program. Sybil Hampton, former president of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation; John Gardner, executive director of the Policy Center on the First Year of College; and Ed Franklin, director of the Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges, will share their insights and vision regarding higher education in the state.

On Thursday, participants will hear from experts who have proven strategies for engaging new students and improving retention.

Presenters include Dr. Jim Purcell, director of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education; Dr. Phyllis Curtis-Tweed, interim associate provost at Medgar Evers College - City University of New York; Dr. Tom Carskadon, professor of psychology at Mississippi State University; Dr. Wendy Troxel, assistant professor of educational administration and foundations at Illinois State University; and Dr. Greg Lampe, interim vice president and provost at the University of Wisconsin.

Events take place in the Pulaski Technical College Campus Center and the Information Technology Center.